Davis VP2 - rain not being recorded.

[RayProudfoot]

It’s been raining here on and off all morning but the last recorded rain was at 07:00 on my website.

I’ve checked the rain gauge for debris but it’s clean. I tipped the buckets a few times and nothing was registered on the console. I also took the rain connector cable out of the ISS and plugged it back in several times but no joy.

Looks like the reed switch has given up. Original from April 2009 so I suppose I’ve done well.

Looking at the ProData site the only replacement appears to be this.

https://shop.weatherstations.co.uk/7345 ... 2011-p.asp

Anyone care to comment on this problem before I order? Having said that I’ve tried twice to call ProData and the call was disconnected without anyone answering.

[RayProudfoot]

The new Davis spoon tipper rain gauge appears to have very mixed reviews making me reluctant to buy it.

Instead WeatherSpares have a replacement for my existing see-saw bucket one. I’ll be ordering this tomorrow after a chat with them.

https://weatherspares.co.uk/collections ... y-7345-444

What have others done when their rain gauge gives up the ghost? Mine has lasted nearly 13 years.

[RayProudfoot]

An update... Just after 6pm the rain gauge started working again and is recording crazy amounts. Nearly 20" today which is clearly wrong.

https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/ ... 12-8/daily

Any clues as to what might be causing this? I did tip the buckets this morning when trying to clean it but that was 8 hours ago. It's gone crazy in the last two hours.

The temp and humidity are okay, just the rainfall. Making the reed switch in it's dying throes?

[mcrossley]

Could be the buckets stuck half-way after you manually moved it. Or the reed contacts "bouncing" with every tip. The ISS will/should have some anti-bounce logic, but if they fluttering that could be the cause.

I replaced the reed switch in mine a good few years ago.

[RayProudfoot]

Hi Mark,

Can you just swap out the reed switch? WeatherSpares don’t list it. Where did you get yours from?

I’ll set my daily rainfall to around 3/4” (20mm) or just above yours. It’s been heavy here in the last hour and Wilmslow may have missed the worst.

I’ll see how it behaves after shutting down cumulus just before midnight and set the daily rain and tidy up the monthly, and all-time records.

[RayProudfoot]

Rainfall is increasing at 0.12" every 30 seconds. Clearly something has gone very wrong. No point doing anything tonight until I can disconnect the rain gauge plug on the ISS tomorrow morning.

[mcrossley]

Reed replacement involves prising the housing apart, the reed switch is soldered to the leads. I salvaged the reed from an old burglar alarm contact switch.

You can buy them here: https://weatherspares.co.uk/products/re ... s-7120-031

Though any normally open reed will probably do.

Instructions: https://www.scaledinstruments.com/wp-co ... Switc1.pdf

[mcrossley]

Ha, found on station log page, it wasn't a burglar alarm contact...

15th January 2017, the reed switch on the rain tipper failed today. After a bit of head scratching I remembered the old Fine Offset station was still in the shed. Viola, 9 spare reed switches! One removed from the FO and soldered in to the Davis - working again.

[RayProudfoot]

Thanks Mark, very helpful. I’ll discuss options with my clever mate.

[RayProudfoot]

Mark, if those you got from your Fine Offset are compatible any chance I could buy one as an emergency fix as my mate is coming tomorrow morning.

[mcrossley]

I'll have to have a look in the shed in tomorrow morning, I have a feeling I chucked it out though...

[PaulMy]

Hi Ray,
I have found my tipping spoon replacement to be better than my original tipping bucket, comparing to my CoCoRaHS manual gauge. Still some variance in heavier winds compared to CoCoRaHS but very satisfied with it.

Enkoy,
Paul

[RayProudfoot]

Hi Ray,
I have found my tipping spoon replacement to be better than my original tipping bucket, comparing to my CoCoRaHS manual gauge. Still some variance in heavier winds compared to CoCoRaHS but very satisfied with it.

Enkoy,
Paul

Paul, you appear satisfied with it but there’s a mixed opinion on the wx.net forum.

Mark, that’s a pity. Could you call me on 07972843582 between 8:30 and 10:00 please with the news and I can then order the replacement before 11am.

[Mapantz]

I went back to the see-saw tipping mechanism, as the spoon tipper for me went pear shaped quickly. It started over-reading by a long way. I sent it back to be investigated, they concluded that it was under-reading, which was impossible. I can't remember the date, but some time last year, there was a rain episode that dropped around 15mm. I measured that in a manual gauge, and a second tipping device. The Davis was reading over 25mm.. yet, according to the supplier, it was under-reading.. No chance!

[RayProudfoot]

Thanks @mapantz. Your experience seems to confirm the feelings of others on wx.net.

Davis seem to have a problem with quality. Users shouldn’t need to calibrate their rain gauge. It should come calibrated.